Machine for sewing thatch



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

1 F.0;LAKE.

MACHINE FOR SEWING THATGH. 1 N0. 391,25 Patented Oct. 16, 1888.,

Wag/Essex j reufi,

' wiwlo a z4 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. 0. LAKE.

MACHINE FOR SEWING THATGH.

No. 391,251. Patented Oct. 16, 1888'.

N. PETERS. Plwlo-Liihogrlphnr. Washington. 0.x;

(No Model. 3 Sheets-Sheet a. F. G. LAKE.

MACHINE FOR SEWING THATGH. No. 891,251. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

UNITE STATES ENT FI FREDERICK OROMPTON LAKE, OF RAYN E, COUNTY OF ESSEX,ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR SEWENG THATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,251, dated October16, 1888.

Application filed March 21, 1887. Serial No. 231,719.

(No model.) Patented in England March 29, 1886, No. 4,385; in BelgiumJanuary 8, 1887, No. 75,984, and in Austria-Hungary April J, 1887, No.5,197 and No. 70,987.

To aZZ whom it rnaz concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Onoarrron LAKE, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at Rayne, in the county of Essex, England,agricultural-implement maker, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Machines for Sewing Thatch,(for which I have obtained Letters Patentin England, dated March 29, 1886, No. 4, 385; in Austria-Hungary, No.5,197 and No. 70,987, dated April 9, 1887, and in Belgium, No. 75,881,dated January 8, 1887,) of which the following is a specilication.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 isa front view, Fig. 2,aback view, and Fig. 3 an end view, of a machine constructed inaccordance with this invention. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively end viewand top view of a fluted roller, which is in some cases employed for thepurpose of assisting the feed; and Figs. 6 and 7 are views of acontrivance for regulating the tension of the string. Fig. 8 is a viewof the driving end of the machine, with a portion of the driving-wheelremoved orbroken away. Fig. 9 is a cross-section showing the mechanismfor actuating the hook and needle spindles, with the needle shown downbelow the table plate and the loop of the string over the hook. Fig. 10is a similar view with the mechanism in a different position. Fig. 11 isa View of the hook. Fig. 12 is adetached view showing the relation ofthe guidespring to the needle and the manner in which the string is heldaway to allow the hook to enter between it and the needle.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of machinesfor sewing thatch, by means of which such operation can be effected in amore convenient and economical manner than by machines as ordinarilyconstructed.

I am aware that machines for sewing thatch have been known and used formany years; but the use ofsuch machines has always been attended bycertain disadvantages which are obviated by the improvementsconstituting the subject of the present invention. For instance, in amachine for which Letters Patent No. 2,419, dated the 21st of September,1866,

were granted in England to George Ouley i when the needles are clear ofthe same.

Gooday, the needles are arranged to work downward through the straw,andthe sewed thatch as it comes from the machine is rolled up into bundles;but, owing to the position of the needles, the stitches have been soformed as to cause the lengths of thatch as they come from the machineto be rolled up in a direction contrary to that which would leave theright side uppermost when unrolled for use. It has consequently beennecessary, in order to have the thatch ready for immediate use, toreroll the lengths in the reverse way. In addition to obviating thedisadvantage lastly referred to, the said improvements allow of a clearobservation of the formation of the stitches, thus enabling theattendant at once to perceive any irregularity in the working of themachine.

I will now proceed to describe my said invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures.

Fig. 1 is a front view; Fig. 2, a back view, and Fig. 3 an end view.

The frame A of the machine is constructed in any suitable manner, butis, by preference, of the form shown in the said drawings. Withinsuitable bearings, at the upper part of the frame, is arranged a shaft,B, which carries the hooks C, for completing the stitches, ashereinafter described. The said hooks are pivoted to levers attached tosockets keyed on to the said shaft. A spring, a, is arranged between thesaid lever and the upper end of the hook above the pivot, in ordertofacilitate the taking of the loop of string from the needle and theretaining of the same until the time arrives for its release. At thelower part of the frame are arranged the bearings for the needle-shaftD. The needles E are connected with the top ends of avertically-reeiprocating T-piece, F, the lower end of which is connectedto a lever, G, on the shaft D.

H H are guide-rods for the T-pieee F.

I I are feed drums or rollers, over each pair of which is passed anendless spiked band, t, which bands are caused to travel by therevolutions of the drums or rollers, so that the spikes projectingthrough the tableplate J will force the straw and sewed thatch forwardThe said drums or rollers are mounted on the shafts K and L. In somecases, in addition to the said drums or rollers I, I arrange a flutedroller, 1, above the feed-board J, for the purpose of further regulatingthe feed. Fig. 4 is adetached end view of the said roller, and Fig. 5 isa top view of the same. The said roller is divided into two or moreparts,and within the space or spaces between the said parts I mountloosely on the spindle a metal finger or fingers, w. The said finger orfingers will allow of the passage of the straw or other material to theneedles, while the position thereof will prevent any of the materialfrom being carried too far round by the roller 1. The said fingers areof sucha length as to comeinto contact with the feeding-board J, wherebythey are prevented from turning in the wrong direction. The said roller1 is mounted in suitable bearings,and driven by the shaft L, through themedium of an endless band, as shown, or in any other preferred way.

N is the driving-shaft, which is actuated by any desired and suitablepower. The said shaft is mounted in the bracket 91. On the shaft N isthe disk 0, or other equivalent contrivance, which is connected to thearm or lever P on the needle-shaft by the connecting-rod B, in order toeffect the desired oscillating motion of the said shaft. To a leverattached to the strap of the eccentric S is connected an arm or crank onthe spindle B in such a manner that on the shaft N being revolved thespindle B will be caused to rock. Also, on the said shaft N is mountedthe eccentric T, to the strap of which is attached a lever, the oppositeend of which is pivoted to the link U. A pawl on the latter causes theratchet V to be revolved at intervals. X is a contrivance for obtainingthe proper tension of the string.

Y are plates, between which and the tableplate Jthe strawis pressed whenbeing sewed, the needles passing through apertures in the said plates.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detached views of the tension contrivance X, which isconstructed as follows: To a plate, so, in which are formed a number ofperforations, are attached two pins, 00, on each of which is mounted acollar, :0, which is pressed against the said plate by the action of aspring arranged between it and a nut at the end of the pin, the forcewith which the said collar :0 is pressed against the plate beingregulated by screwing or unscrewing the nut. In arranging the string inconnection with the said tension device it is first passed through twoor more apertures in the plate 00 and then between the latter and thecollar a2, whence it passes to the needle.

The action of machines constructed as hereersi iubefore described is asfollows: The string, having been suitably arranged on the tensioncontrivance, is passed through the eyes of the needles. On the shaft Nbeing revolved a rocking motion is transmitted to the spindle D, wherebythe needles are moved upward through the table-plate J and the strawbetween the same and the plates Y and through the apertures in thelatter. The spindle D then begins to rock in the oppositedirection,thereby causing the needles to return, and the string at thesides thereof loops out. At this movement the shaft B is rocked, so asto bring forward the hooks O, which respectively catch one of the loopsformed by the needles, being assisted in so doing by the guide-springs.2, around which the string passes, and by which .it is held away fromthe needle, as indicated in Fig. 12, so that the hook 0 may freely enterbetween the two. able circumstances and with selected string, the stringmay be dispensed with, but under ordinary circumstances it will be foundto be of great assistance. The hooks then move back and the needlesdescend below the table-plate J. The shafts K and L are then revolvedsufficiently to advance the straw the distance of a stitch, and theneedles again move upward and pass through the loops which have beenre-.

leased from the hooks, thus forming fresh stitches.

In Fig. 10 the needles are shown as having passed up through theapertures in the tableplate and through the loop on the book 0, whichloop is shown about to slip off the said hook. The needle will thencommence to move downward, and the hook, moving forward at the sametime, will catch the string near the eye of the needle, and the stringso caught by the hook forms another loop, and so on.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In machines for sewing thatch, the combination ofthe feed-board J, the fluted feeding-roller I, and the fingers w,arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In machines for sewing thatch, the combination of the shaft B, book0, shaft D, needles E, the tension device X, feed-roller 1,table-plateJ, the plates Y, driving shaft N, and mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for connecting the driving shaft with the other parts tooperate the same,substantially as described.

FREDERICK CROMPTON LAKE.

\Vitnesses:

Gno. E. VAUGHAN,

57 Chancery Lame, London. F. O. MEARING,

33 Sidmouth Street, London.

Under the most favor

